Poor Jesse

For those of you that didn't know, I am hugely pregnant. I am nearly 33 weeks along and ready to just have the baby. I am currently at the stage where I just want to put my feet up and do absolutely nothing except sleep, eat and feel huge. Landon, on the other hand, is ready to conquer the world. So Jesse gets to balance the both of us. After a few experiments Jesse has found that the best way to entertain us is to put Landon in a laundry basket and throw him around a little bit. I get free entertainment and Landon gets to have loads of fun: we both win. Because Landon is a big boy now he has to climb into the laundry basket all by himself. Once he gets situated Jesse starts from the kitchen and pushes him as hard as he can. We started out having Penny with us but she was a bit suicidal and kept getting hit by the laundry basket. I thought it was hilarious, but Jesse has a more tender heart then I do and sent Penny to her kennel.  I tried to get a picture because it was so funny but they were all to blurry.

4th of July weekend!

Thanks to an abandoned campfire, our 4th of July was 100% firework free. In fact I didn't even see fireworks being sold in the stores. On June 20th Flagstaff had a second forest fire (Schultz Fire). Over 1000 people were evacuated from their homes, livestock was transferred to other land and approximately 15,000 acres were burnt crispy. So, the only fireworks we got to see were on the mountain top. It was pretty exciting though! Nothing really exciting ever happens in Flagstaff except huge disasters. In fact on January 22nd Northern Arizona was declared a disaster area because of snow. Even though we had a fire blazing just 4 miles from our home we still had a lot of fun. My family came up from Utah for a weekend getaway. We ate a lot of yummy food, played games, and went to the park. And of course Landon was spoiled rotten by Grandpa and Grandma Perez

Who needs fireworks?

Day at the park with Cousin Jason.

Landon didn't like the swings!

Hanging out with mom.

Aunt Heidi and cousin Jason

Frisbee

Egbert family heading to church.

Helping uncle Dave clean the computer.
Thanks Dave!

My little Scholar

Landon is our first child. He has been there through most every major event in our marriage. Mainly Jesse's education. By the time Landon is 6 or 7 years old Jesse will just be finishing his PhD . Because school plays such a large part of our lives he is starting to copy Jesse more and more. There is hardly a day that goes by where he doesn't see Jesse reading on the coach or writing a paper on the computer. Now, there's hardly a day that goes by where I don't see Landon pretending to read on the coach or playing at the computer. It is amazing to me, to see how closely we are being watched as parents.

We are still trying to teach him how to hold the
book right side up.

And who really knows what's going to happen. But maybe after having Jesse as a good example to follow, he will end up just like his dad.

Lemon Rice Pilaf

My Mom made this while she was visiting from Utah. I really don't like rice but this was really yummy. We sauteed some mushrooms and mixed them in with our rice which made it even more delicious. This makes a lot so you may want to cut it in half if you don't plan on feeding very many people.

LEMON RICE PILAF

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons green onions, chopped
1 Teaspoon dried basil
1 Cup celery, diced small
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (2 fresh lemons)
1 Tablespoons lemon rind

1 Cup orzo or broken vermicelli (pasta) (You can use both Orzo and Vermicelli)
1-½ cups long-grain rice
1 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon ground black pepper
5 Cups chicken broth (5 cups water and 5 bouillon cubes if you don't have broth.)

Instructions

· Sauté celery, onions and pasta in butter until it begins to brown.
· Add rice, basil, lemon rind, lemon juice, salt and pepper
· Add chicken broth to rice mixture
· Turn to high heat until the rice comes to a boil
· Reduce heat and cover
· Simmer 20 minutes until rice is fluffy and all liquid is absorbed
· Let stand 10 minutes before serving
· Fluff with a fork
· Serve hot

Note: You may need to add more water to get the texture you want. You can also add sauteed mushrooms for extra flavor.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I was pleasantly surprised how yummy these were. I have never been able to make chocolate chip cookies. Now I don't need to, these are so much better! My family came to visit us on 4th of July weekend and couldn't stop eating these. We had to make a second batch they loved them so much.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
2 tablespoon milk
1-½ cups brown sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips
Chopped pecans

Instructions

· Preheat oven to 350°
· Mix all ingredients
· Pour into a 9 x 13 inch greased pan
· Bake for 20 minutes
· Cool and serve

Note: I like to sprinkle chopped pecans over the top just before I bake them instead of mixing them in. For higher elevation add a little more flour.

Hey all. If you have a blog and are running across this problem here is a great way to solve it. Earlier today I was working on my blog and every time I pulled up to edit or to add a gadget which did not have a title for the gadget it would say: The gadget cannot be saved without a title. Error message - "Required field must not be blank". Err I don't want A title, it looks so stupid. I 've never had this problem before but radomly today I did. Any way thanks to fellow blogger:

http://www.bloggertipsandtricks.com/2010/06/required-field-must-not-be-blank.html

He solved all my problems for me. Check it out, He's great!

Sunday Rolls

I have no self control when it comes to rolls. I can't seem to stop eating them when they're around. This recipe has made me the designated roll maker in my family. Thanksgiving, Christmas or when ever my mom craves them, I get to bring the rolls.

SUNDAY ROLLS

1 cup milk
1 cube butter
1 pkg yeast (2tsp)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 beaten eggs
4 cups flour 1/2 sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Heat milk and butter; let cool. Moisten yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar with one tablespoon of warm water.In large bowl, beat together eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, and salt. Add milk mixture, yeast mixture, and flour. Mix will - no need to knead. Cover and let rise for a couple of hours or until double in size. Divide dough; roll into 2 circles on floured surface. Cut each circle into 12-16 pie shapes and form into crescent rolls. Let rise 2 hours and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees

Day at the park

Landon's favorite game to play was to run

in the opposite direction from you, and keep running.

He was never happy when we brought him back.

So he tried playing ball with penny.

When that wasn't working, he finally decided to just contemplate life.

In the end Penny was the only one left playing.

Jesse and I have been trying hard to spend as much time as we can out side. In flagstaff we enjoy 9 months of winter and 3 months of summer. So needless to say, I have been enjoying the times where I can watch Jesse and Landon play outside together. Landon loves his daddy and tries hard to be just like him.

Homemade Pizza

My good Friend gave me this recipe and it is so yummy. I love pizza and this is an affordable way to eat it as often as you want.

HOMEMADE PIZZA

Ingredients :

(Dough)

• 1 pkg. active yeast (about 2.5 tsp.)

• 1 c. warm water

• 1 tsp. sugar

• 1 tsp. salt

• 2 T. oil

• 2.5 c. flour

*Note: I will make 1.5x this recipe for 1 Jelly Roll pan/cookie sheet size pizza

(Pizza Toppings)

• Pizza Sauce (I use Hunt's Mushrooms or Garlic and Herb canned spaghetti sauce (1 26.5 oz can will make 2 to 3 Jelly Roll pan/cookie sheet size pizzas)

• Any favorite toppings: Mushrooms, pepperoni, olives or sausage are our favorites

• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in remaining ingredients. If you're not using a mixer, beat well with spoon or fork. You may need to add a little more flour depending on your elevation. I will add everything, but the last 1/2 cup and then I'll keep adding until it is just sticky enough that the dough does not stay on my fingers. Let rest 5 minutes. Roll out dough to fit the pan you are using and place on greased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Put sauce in the center of the pizza and spread it out. Place toppings and cheese on pizza and bake for 20 minutes or until the crust/cheese is starting to brown.

I'v got your back.

My favorite thing about being a mom is the joy that you receive from watching your children and pets get them selves into the oddest situations.

Landon and Penny are buds, they do everything together. They were playing together in Landon's room. OK, so Penny was probably trying to kill Landon's teddy bears and Landon was playing but non the less Landon came running out of his room looking pretty nervous. He kept pointing to his room like he wanted to show me something. Here is a little side note: Landon likes to wake-up Jesse and I each morning by pounding on the wall. So we fixed that by simply moving his crib away from the wall. Well penny for some odd reason decided to venture behind the crib and discovered that she couldn't venture out from behind the crib.

This time Landon and Penny were playing in the bathroom. In this situation Penny came and found me in the kitchen and gave me the look she gives when she is, one, letting me know she is being good and Landon is being bad or two, Landon needs Mom. So I followed her into the bathroom to find out which one it was. I'm not really sure how or why he was like this but Landon was definitely stuck. He couldn't push himself up, but he didn't want on fall on his head either.

OK so I am a terrible blogger, but I never claimed to be a good one. My sweet husband has taken it upon himself to update my music on a regular basis. And some of you have informed me (including Jesse) that my blog is their personal Internet radio station. I hope you enjoy all of his hard work.

2010 has proven to be one eventful year! Jesse and I are expecting our second son on October 4, 2010. We moved to a larger apartment and purchased our first washer and dryer and kitchen table (seemingly small for some but huge for us). Jesse will also graduate in December with a Masters degree in Teaching English as a second Language and begin his PhD in Applied Linguistics come January. I am so proud of Jesse, for someone who has only been in school for 4 years he has come so far. He started at Salt Lake Community College, graduated from BYU, and now he is well on his way to being a Dr. of Linguistics. Wow! He makes me feel like I need to go and do something monumental. I guess the fact that my apartment is somewhat clean will have to do. ;)

Landon is growing out of control. I hardly know what to do with him these days. I never thought he would actually run around, talk, feed himself or have an opinion. He didn't come with a training manual, trust me I checked, but somehow Jesse and I are managing to keep up. If anyone has advice on children's activities, let me know. I am open to anything.

Lime Italian Ice


My sister in law Heidi gave me this yummy recipe last summer and it quickly became one of my favorite summer treats. Enjoy!

Lime Italian Ice

3 Cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lime juice
lots of ice

Before you begin, fill a large bowl with ice water and put a smaller bowl inside it to chill. Boil the water and sugar. Meanwhile, microwave limes for 10-30 seconds and cut limes in half then juice. Pour lime juice into chilled bowl. Once sugar water has boiled, pour into chilled bowl as well and stir. Let sit for 15 minutes to chill. Pour into 9x13 Pan and freeze for 1 1/2 hours. take out and scrape with fork. Return to freezer for another 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Strawberry Rhubarb pie

This is my favorite pie in the entire world. Yes more then CHOCOLATE! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and your heart might just skip a beat.

Strawberry Rhubarb pie

If possible, make this pie early in the season, when the stalks are still thin skinned, pink, and no thicker than our thumb. Only mature rhubarb will require the greater amount of sugar suggested.

Use Flaky Pastry Dough with recipe

Prepare.

Roll half the dough into a 13-inch round, fit it into a 9-inch pie pan, and trim the overhanging dough to 3/4 inch all around. Refrigerate. Roll the other half into a 12-inch round for the top crust and refrigerate it. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In Large bowl mix:

• 2 1/2 Cups of rhubarb, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 2 1/2 Cups of Strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
• 1 Cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca or cornstarch (Use cornstarch for a lattice pie)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the bottom crust and dot with:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

Brush the overhanging edge of the bottom crust with cold water. Cover with the top crust or lattice, then seal the edge, trim, and crimp or flute. If using a closed top crust, cut steam vents. Lightly brush the top of the pie with milk or cream. sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of sugar.
Bake the pie for 30 minutes. slip a baking sheet beneath it, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F., and cover crust with foil. Bake until thick juice bubble through the vents, 25 to 30 minutes more. Let cool completely on a rack before serving. This pie is best eaten the day it is baked, but it can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Flaky Pastry Dough

A lot of people have asked me for this recipe, so I decided to just post it on my blog. This is one of the best pie crust recipes I have ever had. Keep in mind, I did not include a temperature or cook time because it depends on what filling you choose to use. This is difficult to make so read through 2 or 3 times before you begin. Enjoy!

Flaky Pastry Dough

Using a rubber spatula, thoroughly mix in a large bowl:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon white sugar or 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Add:

• 1cup solid vegetable shortening, or 1/2 cup shortening and 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter

Break the shortening into large chunks; if using butter, cut in into small pieces, then add it to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the fat into the dry ingredients. As you work, periodically stir dry flour up from the bottom of the bowl and scrape clinging fat off the pastry blender or knives. When you are through, some of the fat should remain in pea-sized pieces; the rest should seem dry and powdery and not pasty or greasy. Drizzle over the flour and fat mixture:

• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water

Using the rubber spatula, cut with the blade side until the mixture looks evenly moistened and begins to form small balls. Press down on the dough with the flat side of the spatula. If the balls of dough stick together, you have added enough water; if the do not, drizzle over the top:

• 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water

Cut in the water, again using the blade of the spatula, then press with your hands until the dough coheres. The dough should look rough, not smooth. Divide the dough in half, press each half into a thick, flat disk, and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and preferably for several hours, or for up to 2 days before rolling. the dough can also be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 6 months; thaw completely before rolling.

Cafe Rio Style Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

A few people have asked for this recipe. Now that I live in Arizona I don't have the luxury of going to Cafe Rio. So I have to make my own version of Cafe Rio style food. Its not the same, but delicious nonetheless!

CREAMY TOMATILLO DRESSING

1 package Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch salad dressing mix 1 lime, juice only
1 or 2 large jalapeño peppers 2 cups buttermilk (check directions)
1 cloves garlic 2 cups mayonnaise (check directions)
2 tomatillos
1 handful cilantro leaves
1 lime, juice only
2 cups buttermilk (check directions)
2 cups mayonnaise (check directions)

• Mix Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch dressing according to package directions
• Place all ingredients together in a blender, except mayonnaise; mix until smooth
• Whisk in the mayonnaise; chill until ready to serve

Note: The seeds in the jalapeño peppers make it spicy hot. Remove seeds, if you don’t want it to be too spicy. Do not use the stems from the cilantro.